Hey, guys! We've been doing a lot in S.S. about 9/11 because the tenth anniversary and all. This is just something about the gods gathering around Hermes TV, and watching it all unfold, just as America did.
I hope you all like it! And, yes, it's serious. (Mostly) Sorry, Crazy fans, get over it, and I mean that in the nicest possible way.
Hermes packed his television into the big duffel bag hanging on his shoulder. It was made specially by Hephaestus to play without a cord, so he could watch wherever he wanted. In this case, Olympus. He picked up a smaller, flatter device. Usually recognized as an iPad. He put it into the duffel bag too. He sat down the bag for a minute, pulled out a cell phone, and called Olympus.
"Hello?"A voice said on the other side.
"Yes, this is Hermes, can you put me through to Zeus?" He said, his voice unusually somber.
The receptionist on the other end hesitated.
"Lord Hermes, are you sure? He's in the middle of a ping-pong match right now, and hes really on a roll-"
Hermes sighed. "Put me through to his earpiece then."
"Alright, Hermes, but I hope this doesn't affect his playing."
There was a pause on the line as the receptionist switched the call over. Then Hermes heard the Tap, Tap, Tap, of a ping pong ball going back and forth very fast.
"Blasted, Hermes, If this is about my pre-ordered ping-pong trophy, I don't want to hear it."
Hermes felt like he should laugh, but you couldn't laugh at a time like this, it was wrong.
"No, It's not about that. I need to you to call a meeting. Now." He waited for the rude reply that would come any second now.
"Can it not wait until the solstice? I'm in the middle of something very important right now, . . ."
"Father, this is more important than your game-" As soon as Hermes said it he knew it was a mistake.
"How DARE you suggest my championship ping-pong match is inferior to-"
Hermes cut him off, knowing he was pressed for time. "Father listen, call a time out or something. This is important."
Zeus grumbled something about showing him what was inferior, but he called time out, and the constant Tap, Tap, Tap, halted. Followed by a chorus of "Awwww's"
"What?" Zeus grumbled. His voice was clearer now, so Hermes assumed he switched to his Blackberry.
Hermes took a deep breath. "Father something big is about to happen to the mortals."
"Is this big in mortal terms, or-"
"This is big in ALL terms." Hermes said, sighing again.
"Listen, I need you to call the rest of the council to Olympus within the next ten minutes."
"Son! What could possibly be so big to the mortals that ALL of the council has to see it!"
"You'll see." Hermes said, then winced. That sounded really stupid.
Zeus noticed the tired, sad sound in his sons voice.
"Alright, but this better be good."
Hermes sighed, a happier sigh this time, and closed his phone. The two snakes on the antenna had turned a slightly sick brown color, instead of thier usuall bright green. Hermes looked at what was the (probably) sad expression on the two snakes face. It was hard to tell with snakes.
Athena transported herself to Olympus, where the rest of the council was already seated.
"I apologize for my lateness, I had business to take care of."
Ares, slumped in his throne across the room, stifled a laugh.
"Beating up a guy on the street because he said guys were better fighters than guys isn't what most people call business."
Athena quickly spoke back.
"Well we all know your definition for business involves Aphrodite and-"
"Athena." Hermes said from across the room.
"Please take a seat." He said.
"Well, you're bold today." She said, but made her way to her throne.
Hermes stood in front of the room, feeling uncomfortable.
"So, Hermes, whats the 'big' problem?" Zeus said, breaking the silence.
"A few weeks ago," Hermes started. "I was helping deliver some mail, and-"
"Shocker, Hermes delivering mail." Apollo said.
Hermes shot him a look and continued.
"And I read it." He paused, only slightly for dramatic effect.
"Isn't that, like, a felony?" Aphrodite said.
"Well, yes, but, just listen." Hermes said, sighing. I have sighed way to much recently, he thought.
"It was from, questionable people. So, yeah, I read it. It was, . . . finalizing plans."
Athena was truly worried. A light had dimmed in her half-brothers eye. The twinkle that he had whenever he was being especially mischievous was nowhere to be seen.
"Plans for what?" She asked.
"This," he said, turning on the TV on the table in the middle of the room.
It was on the news channel. The new anchor was talking in a rushed voice, even for a news anchor.
"-Crashed into the World Trade Tower just a few minutes ago, as you can see in this picture, there is a large gash in the side of the building, smoking. We have rescue teams in there now, and going in, so far we don't know whether this is some kind of freak accident, or a planned attack. Here is Deby Turner near the sight of the crash with the latest. " The picture went to an on-the scene reporter, with short blond hair blowing into her eyes as she gripped the microphone. Behind her was indeed, a smoking gash in a tower. People were behind her, looking on at the site as more and more smoke continued to pour out of the hole. The young reporter talked about theory's of what was happening, casualty's and injury's that had been reported.
Posiden watched the huge sprays of water going up onto it, and wished he could forget the 'no interference' rule, and help the water go just a tad bit further.
A few minutes later, the identical tower next to it had a smoking hole in it too.
Artemis sniffled, seeing a group of young girls clinging to each other as they made their way down the street.
Sometime the president came on, saying they were under attack by terrorist.
Zeus made a note to find out who did this, and make sure they never did anything like this again.
They went to the pentagon, where a plane crashed into part of the government building.
Athena tried just to think about the information that they might have just lost. Not the mortals.
Somehow the Olympians got closer, and closer to the TV.
Before Hermes knew it, he was squished into what was similar to a godly group hug.
A plane crashed somewhere in rural area.
Demeter wiped away a tear, knowing it wasn't just for the field the plane landed in.
The first tower fell.
Ares looked at the fireman running into the rubble, and thought, now those are warriors.
The second tower fell.
Aphrodite felt for Ares hand, seeing a young couple bury themselves in each others arms.
And a few minutes later, it seemed like it was all over.
The Olympians looked at each other. They are a family, remember, no matter how dysfunctional they were, they were a family.
And no family could have seen that without having a little tear in thier heart.
Hermes was the first one to speak.
"That was someones idea of business, . . . you know?" He said.
"Who-" Zeus said. But his voice cracked.
Apollo looked into the future, and saw something. A big building, a helicopter crash, a gun firing once.
"Don't worry, " He said. "They got 'em."
And the rare once-in-a-ten-million-years moment when none of the Olympians could have said a rude word to the other was right then. And for once, the dysfuctional family, was not that dysfunctional.
Well, that was depressing to write. I hope you liked it! If this touched you, review! I would appreciate it so much!
God bless America!
~CrAzY